Bookies have a new hot favourite for who’s going to be putting on James Bond’s iconic tuxedo and it’s not who anyone expected.
Aidan Turner, the star of BBC’s Poldark, has become a firm favourite to replace Daniel Craig in the super spy series after a big weekend of betting, presumably by my grandmother who believes Turner is the most attractive man alive.
Despite the fact that Craig’s not officially handed in his license to kill, he did say that he’d rather ‘slash his own wrists’ than play Bond again, and turned down a multi-million pound deal, so he’s most likely not coming back, The Mirror reports.
Now Ladbrokes are saying that that Turner is the front-runner to be cast as 007, with odds his odds plummeting to 1-2 making him the favourite.
Despite speculation that mega-star Tom Hiddleston was being eyed for the role he’s trailing behind in second place with odds of 2-1, while Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Damian Lewis making up the rest of the list.
Ladbrokes spokesman Jessica Bridge said:
Money talks, and it’s the Poldark man that punters want as their next Bond. Turner’s been shaking and stirring the betting for the last week and it’s not a huge surprise to see he’s been backed into odds-on.
Should Turner take the role he’ll be the first Irishman to portray bond on-screen and he’s no stranger to big franchises, having played the dwarf Kili in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy.
Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes has said however that the choice of Bond isn’t a public vote but he did add ‘I can guarantee whatever happens with it, it will not be what you expect’.
Who’d be your pick to play Bond?
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.